Weekly Messages

September 5, 2008   Weekly News

Blue Jeans Kabbalat Shabbat Family Service Sponsored by the Talmud Torah Friday, September 5, 2008, 6:00-8:00 PM   Campaign 100 Kickoff Event:  Friday September 19th at 6:30 pm featuring Richard Gans, an alumnus of Rodeph Sholom,who will conduct an eclectic, participatory Kabbalat Shabbat "Infusion" for the whole family. Enjoy singing, clapping, chanting and dancing.  Dinner will follow; RSVP is required before Sept. 15th.   On Saturday Night September 20th following Havdalah Richard Gans will hold a Hebrew Chant.  Richard takes a Hebrew phrase found in the Siddur and composes melodies over them.  The phrases are repeated like a mantra accompanied by a projection of Hebrew transliteration and translation so that everyone can participate.  It is sure to be a creative and experiencial evening.          This is your chance to join the efforts of our 8th Grade Class and the Social Action Committee to 'construct' a world without hunger. Beginning September 2, bring your canned food items into the synagogue.   After October 2, the 8th Grade 'canstruction' will be on display in Friend Hall. Our canned foods will be donated to the Connecticut Food Bank (CFB) a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1982, that collects, transports, warehouses, and distributes donated food to service agencies throughout CT. They are committed to teaching the public about the negative effects of hunger on our communities. To help promote hunger awareness, CFB works with America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief charity, as well as grass-roots organizations such as End Hunger CT!   Suggested Items: Canned Fruits, Vegetables, Soups, Beans, Peanut Butter, Rice, Dry Beans, Pasta.  No glass items.                                         On Sunday the Sisterhood Torah Fund Breakfast will feature classical pianist, Naomi Weiss Goldman.   Make Your Own Pickles on Monday September 15th at 8:00 pm.  The class is filling up quickly.  Call the office to reserve your spot as soon as you can!!!   A New Youth Chorale for grades 3 to 8 will be directed by Cantor Green. Rehearsals will be held in Hirsch Hall on Sundays from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. beginning September 7th.   Intermarraige & Conservative Judasim.  On September 11th, 18th, and 25th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Rabbi Cantor will explore how our movement's attitudes and approaches to intermarriage have evolved, and present a new vision for the future of our Jewish community which strives  to find a balance between the values of endogamy and personal autonomy.   The Norman Rappoport Memorial Lecture will take place on Sunday evening at 8 p.m.    Sherri Mandell whose 13 year old son Koby was murdered by Arab terrorists in Efrat wrote an award winning book entitled "The Blessing of a Broken Heart."  Her story swept the Jewish world.  Out of the enormity of her son's murder she tells the tale of her own journey through heartbreak to peace and healing through faith.  Please reserve this date for an evening you will find life affirming and which may very well change your life.   Preparing for the High Holidays Please call the office and let us know your babysitting needs for the High Holidays. Babysitting will be available for children 1-5(pre K) and kindergarten-first grade. Reservations are required.   Congregation Rodeph Sholom 100 year membership drive (featuring a membership fee of $100) is going strong.  Tell your friends!!!!! Taglit Birthright Israel If you are between the ages of 18 - 26, have never been to Israel on an organized peer trip, come to Israel for FREE with KOACH! Ten days of travel, fun and study. Taglit-Birthright Israel's only Conservative movement program. Two trip options -- a national trip and a unique track exclusively for participants with Asperger's Syndrome.   For more information, visit thier website  at www.KOACH.org.                                        Our Kiddush theme this week will be Italian style.   Shabbat Shalom Yaron Back Executive Director

August 15, 2008

Talmud Torah will sponsor a Blue Jean Shabbat Dinner and Service on Friday, September 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.  Please RSVP to the Talmud Torah office by September 2nd.  For more information, please contact Arnie Rotenberg.
 
The first day of Talmud Torah for grades 3 to 7 is Tuesday, September 2nd.  Sunday, September 7th is the first Sunday for all grades.  Back to school day is at 11 a.m.  Please come and meet Cantor Green.
 
The deadline to buy High Holiday tickets at a discounted price of $15 off each ticket is August 25th.
 
Social Action and the 8th grade Talmud Torah class will sponsor a Canned Food Drive September 2nd through October 2nd.  Collection boxes will be set up in the synagogue for easy drop off.  The 8th grade will create a sculpture with the cans before they are donated to the Connecticut Food Bank.
 
Entertainment books are now in the synagogue office at $25 per book.  They can be used starting November 1st.  There will be a $1 coupon in the September bulletin which can be used in October and November.
 
Shabbat Shalom
Yaron Back
Executive Director
 

Friday, July 11, 2008

The Social Action Committee is going to help prepare and serve food again at the Soup Kitchen on July 29th at the Episcopal Church on the corner of Park and Fairfield Avenues. If you'd like to join our group and do a mitzvah, meet us in the Rodeph Sholom parking lot at 3:30 on the 29th.

The Bah-le-BUST-ehs, Rodeph members who are breast cancer survivors, are doing the 39 mile, 2 days Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City in the fall. If you'd like to donate to the cancer fund just send a check made out to Rodeph Sholom, Social Action. Send it to the synagogue this summer. Be sure to mark "Avon Walk for Breast Cancer" on the check. Thanks.

On Monday July 14th we will have a meeting for our "Celebration 100" anniversary so we can start planning for the Fall Gala and Brunch. If you are interested in being part of this committee please contact Carol Weinshel at 372-6004 or at mica3@sbcglobal.net. The meeting will be in the Grama Resource Center at 7:00pm.

Rabbi Cantor is back and will be conducting the services this weekend.

Shabbat Shalom. Yaron

Friday, June 20, 2008

Mazal Tov to the Schneider family on Bar Mitzvah of their son, Zachary.

This weekend we are hosting Cantor Green and his family. Please let the office know if you plan to attend any of the activities this weekend. On Friday we will have services at 6 p.m. which will be conducted in Hirsch Hall. On Saturday we will have an extended Kiddush. On Saturday between the afternoon and evening services at (Hirsch Hall) we will share a Seudah Shelishit and Cantor Green will share his love of singing and teaching from a selection of Sabbath Table songs (Zemirot). On Sunday at 8:00am following Shacharit Cantor Green will share with us the secret of "The Web Cam Cantor." Breakfast will follow.

As you can see we really need your RSVPs for Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning breakfast by the end of today so we can prepare accordingly.

The Zeff Camp started on Monday June 16th. We still have openings if you wish to send your kids to camp.

Rabbi Cantor will be on vacation from Sunday, June 22nd thru Thursday, July 11th. Rabbi Stein will be officiating at services on Saturdays June 28th and July 5th.

Our board meeting will be on Wednesday June 25th at 7:30pm. Check our web site at www.rodephsholom.com and fill out the short Cantorial survey. There will only be a short time before the Cantorial committee will meet again so please complete the survey. We would like to have as much feedback as possible.

Sabbath Shalom.

Friday, June 6, 2008

I want to extend Rodeph Sholom's Mazal Tov and Yasher Koach to the following congregants on being recognized by Jewish Family Service.
 
Carolyn Wasserlauf for Jewish Family Service's Volunteer of the Year award, Keith Rubenstein as outgoing chairman of the board of JFS and Harry Sheketoff and Cathy Fisher who both received awards for outstanding volunteerism through the years. They all received the awards last night in a special ceremony. In addition Rodeph Sholom received the Good Friend Good Neighbors award.
 
Mazal Tov also to the Berkowitz Family for Jacob's Bar Mitzvah this weekend.
 
Congratulations to our Nursery School on another fine school year.
 
Save the date:  Friday, November 1st for our first Synaplex program of the year. If you have any ideas for programming and would like to help the committee, please join us for our next planning meeting on Monday June 16th at 6:30 p.m. in Grama Resource Center. You can also e-mail Bill Markowitz at bill.markowitz@cmpmedica.com  if you like to receive updates and information about Synaplex.
 
Cantor Jason Green and his family will be joining us for the weekend of June 20th.  Please make every effort to attend.
 
Shavuos begins on Sunday night, June 8th with services at 8 p.m. in the chapel followed by a study session at 9 p.m. led by Rabbi Cantor.  Services on Monday are at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary and 6 p.m. in the chapel.  On Tuesday, June 10th services begin at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary.  Yizkor will be observed that morning between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. including the dedication of memorial plaques.
 
The synagogue office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday due to Shavuos.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 

Friday, May 23, 2008

Save the Date: Saturday May 31st for our Comedy Night which will feature Comedian Marc Weiner and our own Rabbi David Cantor.  Marc has been on Saturday Night Live, HBO and Showtime and he is currently touring the U.S. and Canada performing his one-man comedy show. 

Friday, May 16, 2008

This week we are extending our congratulations to the Powers Family on the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter, Jennifer.

This weekend we are welcoming Hazzan Green. Hazzan Jason Green is presently the Cantor at Beth Jacob Congregation, in Dayton, Ohio.  Prior to this, Cantor Green was a part-time Hazzan at Beth Jacob Congregation, in Baltimore, while also holding a full-time position at the JCC of Greater Baltimore, where he was Assistant Director for the Adult Life Department, and Camp Ruach Director for the JCC's day camp for boys.  Born and bred in Montreal, Cantor Green double-majored in music and anatomy at McGill University, in Montreal.  He obtained his Cantorate Diploma from the London School of Jewish Studies in 2006 and became a member of the Cantors Assembly in 2008.

Congratulations to our Talmud Torah students on finishing another productive year at the Hebrew school. Graduation is on Sunday at 10:30 am.

On Tuesday May 20 at 8 p.m. we have a special program with Rabbi Becher. Originally from Australia, Mordechai Becher is a senior Lecturer for the Gateways organization. He received his rabbinic ordination form the chief Rabbinate of Israel and the chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and served in the Israel defense forces. Rabbi Becher has co-authored books on contemporary issues in Jewish Law and ethics. His expertise in applying classic Jewish concepts to every day living made him a sought after lecturer around the word.

The program will start at 8:00 pm; for reservations please call the office at 334 0159.

On May 21st Congregation Rodeph Sholom will hold it annual meeting at Friend Hall at 7:00 pm.  We encourage all members to join us for this important meeting.

The Zeff Center would like to remind you that TOM THUMB CIRCUS is coming to Rodeph Sholom on Sunday June 1st at 1:00 pm. If you did not purchases tickets yet, please contact the office and please remember that if you purcess tickets prior to June 1st 50% of the proceed will go to the Zeff Early Childhood Center which will use this money for our new playground.

Friday May 9, 2008

This week we are welcoming Hazzan Marcia Lane who will join us on Friday night and for a Saturday extended Kiddush. On Sunday she will meet with members of the ritual committee, executive committee, and cantorial search committee. Please go to rodephsholom.com and click on the cantorial search link located in the upper right corner so we can have your feedback on Cantor Lane's visit.

On Tuesday, May 13th we will have our programming meeting and we encourage your participation in the meeting at 7:00 pm in the Grama Resource Center.

On Thursday, May 15 Hazak will have a Garden Party to celebrate the 60th birthday of Israel.  The program will take place at 1:00 pm. in Friend Hall.

The Men's Club will host a Paid up Membership Dinner on Thursday, May15th at 6:30 pm.

On Tuesday, May 20th at 8:00 pm we will have a lecture by Rabbi Mordechai Becher on "The Bible as History" ("Too Many Mitzvot? Or Why is Judaism So Nitpicking?"). Rabbi Becher is originally from Australia and is a Senior Lecturer for the Gateways Organization.  He received his Rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and served in the Israel Defence Forces.  Rabbi Becher has co-authored books on the contemporary issues in Jewish law and ethics and has responded to thousands of legal and ethical questions on the Ask the Rabbi website.  His expertise in applying classic Jewish concepts to every day living has made him a sought after lecturer around the world.

Save the Date

We will laugh the night away with comedian Marc Weiner. This will follow Havdallah services and a warm up comedy act by our very own Rabbi David Cantor. For tickets please call the office at 203 334 0159. Advance tickets are $25 and at the door $30.

Sabbath Shalom

Friday, May 2, 2008

Tickets are on sale, in the synagogue office, for the Cantor Grama
z"l Memorial Scholarship Concert. The Concert will be at 4:30 P.M. on
May 4th. If you wish to send a memory of time you spent with Cantor
Grama, to be included in the scrapbook for his grandchildren, please
do so by sending it to Ellen Bedford at 475 Clark Street, Bridgeport,
CT 06606 or ellenbedford@hotmail.com

This Saturday, the Zeff Early Childhood Center will have its final
Tot Shabbat with "make your own Sundaes". The program will start at
10:30A.M.

If you are interested in registering your children for Summer Camp,
please contact Liz Englander.

Talmud Torah will have a Shabbat Service and Israeli Dinner. The
service will begin at 6:00P.M. and dinner will be at 6:45P.M. The
dairy dinner includes macaroni & cheese and pizza for the kids and
salad, falafel and other Israeli foods for the adults.

Save the date of May 9th, when we will host Cantor Marcia Lane for
the weekend.

Congregation Rodeph Sholom's Annual Meeting will be held on
Wednesday, May 21st at 7:00P.M.

Shabbat Shalom

Yaron

Friday, April 25, 2008

Please review the holiday minyan hours for this coming weekend - they are slightly different. The minyan hours are posted on the front door, on the Chapel door, and on the Web.

Next week on May 1st, Rodeph Sholom will hold a Yom Hashoah ceremony. The evening will start at 6:30P.M., with a talk by Betty Deutsch and Mila Nishball. Faith Vogel will add her voice to the ceremonies. I would like to encourage all members to take part in such an important day.

Tickets are on sale, in the synagogue office, for Cantor Grama z"l Memorial Scholarship Concert. The Concert will be at 4:30 P.M. on May 4th. If you wish to send a memory of time you spent with Cantor Grama, to be included in the scrapbook for his grandchildren, please do so by sending it to Ellen Bedford at 475 Clark Street, Bridgeport, CT 06606 or ellenbedford@hotmail.com

Save the weekend of May 9th - we will be hosting Cantor Marcia Lane.

Please join us for the Annual Meeting on May 21st at 7:00P.M.

On May 13th at 7:00P.M., there will be a Programming Meeting, and on May 29th at 7:00P.M., there will be the Annual Calendar Meeting. All committee chairs are strongly encouraged to attend these meetings.

Moadim Lesimcha everyone.

Yaron

Friday, April 18, 2008

On Tuesday, April 22nd, the Cantorial Search Committee will interview
Cantor Mordechai Schramm.

Please save the dates for two important community meetings: one for
Programming and the other for the Annual Calendar Meeting. The
Programming Meeting will take place on May 13th at 7:00 P.M. in the
Grama Resource Center, and the Calendar Meeting will take place on
May 29th, at 7:00 P.M. in the Grama Resource Center. These meetings
will help us plan next year's programming at Rodeph Sholom. I
encourage all committee chairs and those who would like to have any
programming for next year to attend these meetings.

On May 1st, Congregation Rodeph Sholom will pay tribute to our
Holocaust Survivors and remember the victims. Betty Deutsch and Mila
Nishball will speak at 6:30 P.M. with Talmud Torah students
participating in the program, and Faith Bader Vogel will add her
voice to the program. All members are invited.

We will host Cantor Marcia Lane for the weekend of May 9th.

On May 20th at 7:00 P.M. Rodeph Sholom will present a lecture by the
world-renowned Rabbi Mordechai Becher, who will be discussing the
topic "Too Many Mitzvot? Or Why Is Judaism So Nitpicking?"

The annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 21st at 7:00 P.M.

I would like to take this opportunity and wish you and your family a
Happy Passover.

Yaron

Friday, March 21, 2008

In the coming weeks, there will be a great deal of activity at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, so please save the dates for the following events:

• Friday March 28th Hazan Ben Matis who will join us.
• Sunday March 30th We will hold a Breakfast Town Hall meeting at 9:30 A.M. in Friend Hall to introduce the SYNAPLEX program to the congregation.
• Saturday April 5th Havdalah and Dancing. Please R.S.V.P. to the office if you are planning to attend.
• Tuesday April 8th The Cantorial Search Committee will host a Town Hall Meeting which will give all members an opportunity to hear about our cantorial search process. In the interim if you wish to send your comments or your questions to the members of the committee please go to rodephsearch@yahoo.com and e-mail your thoughts.
• Sunday April 6th The Zeff Early Childhood Center will hold a Bazaar from 11:00A.M. to 2:00P.M. which will feature vendors such as Blue Tulip, Ente's Shoe Salon, Beads by Sharon & Joann, and many others. Please come and support our preschool.
• Also to benefit the Zeff Center, Shaw's Supermarket, is teaming up with its customers to raise funds for area non –profits through its "Receipt Rewards Program". Please collect and save all cash receipts and bring them to the Zeff Early Childhood Center. Our school in return will receive a check for 1% of the eligible register receipt amount.
• Sisterhood and Hazak invite you to a breakfast on Sunday, April 6th at 10:00 a.m. The guest speaker will be Israeli Emissary, Hila Spies. Myra Garvett Kremenitzer (author and director of Esther: The New Musical) will play the piano. Please call the synagogue office for reservations.

If you or any of your family members are a Cohan or Levi, please let the office know so we can update our records.

To all Shabbat Shalom.

Yaron

Friday, March 7, 2008

This week our Rabbi will host a breakfast meeting for the Board of Rabbis.

On Thursday, the Hazak group will have their monthly program in Friend Hall. This program will be devoted to women in history. The program will start at 1:00P.M.

Save the date for our next Tot Shabbat. It will take place on Saturday March 15th at 10:30 A.M. All the kids are welcome to come with their Purim costumes.

We are very excited to host Cantor Ben Matis on the weekend of March 28th.

Please plan to bring your dancing shoes and high spirits for what will be a great night of fun, on April 5th. We will have Havdallah and dancing with a live band. BYOB (kosher only), dessert and coffee will be served. Please call the office to RSVP at 334-0159.

Don’t forget to check our website at www.rodephsholom.com.

I will be out of the office at the USCJ annual conference in Philadelphia next week.

Shabbat Shalom,
Yaron